Industry News
The U.S. Forest Service has officially approved a 694-acre boundary expansion for Grand Targhee Resort, allowing the ski area to develop new terrain in Teton Canyon and build a new restaurant on Fred’s Mountain. According to a formal announcement from the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, which was first detailed in a report by the Jackson Hole News&Guide, the decision follows an extensive federal review of more than 2,100 public comments submitted after a draft environmental review was released in March 2025.
The finalized expansion footprint is slightly smaller than the 866 acres originally requested by the resort back in 2020. As forest spokesperson Jared Fisher explained to Jackson Hole News&Guide, federal land managers adjusted the final boundaries down to mitigate potential wildlife impacts and address specific concerns raised by the public and cooperating government agencies. The final plan, as published in the agency’s official records, opens up 459 acres for development in the Mono Trees area and 235 acres in the South Bowl area.
To legally clear the way for this development, the Forest Service must implement six amendments to the current Caribou-Targhee forest plan. Caribou-Targhee Forest Supervisor Kim Pierson explained in a public statement that these amendments are heavily tied to local avian protections. Agency documentation shows that the forest plan changes will allow for targeted tree removal within northern goshawk habitats and near historic nesting areas for boreal and flammulated owls. A broader sixth amendment will rezone the expansion tracts from visual and aquatic preservation areas into developed recreation sites.
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The approved plan also permits the resort to build an on-mountain restaurant atop Fred’s Mountain, though the Forest Service has attached strict structural conditions to the authorization. To protect the panoramic views visible from neighboring Grand Teton National Park, the Forest Service’s published guidelines require the facility to use materials that blend seamlessly into the mountain landscape. Furthermore, the agency is restricting the restaurant to daytime operations only to preserve the region’s dark night skies.
The approval aligns closely with federal agency mandates to expand public recreation infrastructure and promote local job growth. Spokesperson Jared Fisher noted to the press that federal directives under the executive order “Make America Beautiful Again” — which instructs public land managers to drive economic growth through outdoor recreation — played a substantial role in shaping the evaluation. Forest Supervisor Pierson emphasized that the final decision represents a calculated balance between these national directives and local environmental assessments concerning soil, botany, and migratory birds.
The decision has revived long-standing geopolitical tensions between neighboring local governments, as reported by Jackson Hole News&Guide. While Grand Targhee Resort sits entirely within Teton County, Wyoming — allowing Wyoming to collect all associated lodging and sales taxes — the resort is physically landlocked and only accessible by traveling through Teton County, Idaho. This forces Idaho communities to absorb the infrastructure costs of increased tourist traffic and emergency responses without direct financial benefits.
Teton County, Idaho, Commissioner Ron James expressed continuing frustration over the financial strain on his community, telling the Jackson Hole News&Guide that he would be significantly more supportive of the development if a concrete revenue-sharing mechanism could be established between the two counties. On the other side of the border, Teton County, Wyoming, Commissioner Luther Propst criticized the ruling, characterizing the border adjustments as token gestures dictated by political operatives in Washington, D.C., rather than local priorities.
Grand Targhee owner Geordie Gillett told the paper that he intends to let the regulatory process run its course before setting construction timelines or deciding which specific terrain to develop first. Gillett also confirmed to reporters that he has no intentions of selling the resort, emphasizing his commitment to see the project through to completion. Following the official publication of the plan in the Federal Register, the Forest Service will open a 45-day objection period for the expansion and five project-specific amendments, alongside a 60-day objection period for the broader zoning overhauls.
Good to see reasonable development get approved. We’ve been largely blocked by a minuscule percentage of people for decades. Hopefully the pendulum swings to maximum societal enjoyment.